Old county public health laboratory to see frightening new use

by jmaloni

Submitted

Thu, Apr 2nd 2015 10:40 am

"Frightworld" offers laughs, scares

Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz unveiled a new
re-use project that adds a new dimension to one of Erie County's oldest
facilities: the old and unused public health lab. A proposed "Frightworld"
attraction for haunted fun all year long is in the works for the site, as a
recent study of the property found it already had the necessary ingredients for
such an attraction (including lots of cobwebs, scary-looking hallways and old
medical waste).

Plans for the new attraction leave much to the
imagination, but will be continuously updated as the project continues.

"For too long, the old lab on the ECMC campus has sat
unused. It is a solid old building, though, and an opportunity like this does
not present itself very often," Poloncarz said. "Working with our partners, we
outlined an achievable plan that capitalizes on the site's architecture,
history and general creepiness to locate a world-class spooky attraction here.
People pay top dollar to go to haunted houses to be scared silly; think about
how new revenue we will make with a haunted old laboratory with medical waste."

A number of necessary components for the attraction
are already in place at the facility, expediting the planned "Frightworld"
opening sometime later this year. Among them are abandoned wards and hallways
replete with reminders of the site's former use, but made spookier by the
passage of time and through the inclusion of costumed characters designed to
make visitors feel as if they are part of the show. The site's legendary design
will be accentuated by strategic lighting and sound effects to give a haunted
feel that follows visitors around the campus and makes their visit extra-spooky.
Zombies, werewolves, haunts and other worldly creatures will be found scattered
throughout

"Frightworld," which will employ 2,000 people on-site
as the largest scare attraction in New York, repositioning Halloween as a
year-round attraction locally while diversifying Erie County's employment
portfolio. That portfolio will expand further with "Santa's Universe," an Erie
County Christmas attraction destined to open in 2016.